Savory Pork Medallions With Apples

It’s apple season! I love apples. They are the perfect fruit: crisp, sweet, and tart. I’ve become spoiled living here. There are countless apple orchards where you can pick your own or buy them at the farm stand. Grocery store apples just don’t compare, so I get as many as I can while they’re in season.

According to the New York Apple Association, humans have been eating apples since 6,500 BCE. The US began exporting them in 1768. New York ranks second in the nation for overall production with an average of 29.5 million bushels annually. That’s 1,239 million pounds, more than six hundred thousand tons per year! With almost 700 commercial apple growers, we grow more varieties than any other state. I love Honeycrisp for eating, Cortland for applesauce, and Fortune or Crispin for pie.

I’ve made this recipe, which I’ve adapted from Cooking Light, with all those and more. I prefer using a firmer apple like Honeycrisp or Crispin so that it doesn’t get mushy with cooking. Braeburn and Paula Red are also good choices. I’d steer clear of MacIntosh (too mushy) and Red or Golden Delicious (too bland) if I had other options, but I’d rather use them than skip the dish altogether. It’s that good!

You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

½ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

⅛ tsp ground cinnamon

⅛ tsp ground nutmeg

a few small sprigs of fresh thyme

1 large shallot

1 large apple

1 pound pork tenderloin

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter

¼ cup apple cider

Preparation:

1.) Start by preparing all the ingredients: Combine the first 5 ingredients (salt through nutmeg); set aside. Strip 1 teaspoonful of leaves from the thyme, set aside.

2.) Thinly slice the shallot for about ⅓ cup.

3.) Thinly slice the apples. I like to first use my Oxo corer/sectioner, then slice the segments. I think it makes the process easier and faster.

4.) Trim the pork, then slice crosswise into twelve segments, about an inch to an inch and a half thick.

5.) Stir the dry seasonings and sprinkle evenly over both sides of the pork slices. Gently rub to adhere.

6.) Gently flatten the slices with your hand. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the pork slices, working in batches if needed to prevent overcrowding. Brown the pork about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until done. Don’t overcook; a pink center is perfect. Transfer the pork to a serving platter and keep warm.

7.) Add the butter to the pan, then the shallots and apples. Cook about 3 – 4 minutes until the shallots begin to soften, and the apples begin to brown.

8.) Pour in the cider, scraping up all the yummy brown bits from the bottom of the pan, then stir in the thyme. Cook just long enough to thicken the sauce. Serve with the pork.

Directions

1.) Start by preparing all the ingredients: Combine the first 5 ingredients (salt through nutmeg); set aside. Strip 1 teaspoonful of leaves from the thyme, set aside.
2.) Thinly slice the shallot for about ⅓ cup.
3.) Thinly slice the apples. I like to first use my Oxo corer/sectioner, then slice the segments. I think it makes the process easier and faster.
4.) Trim the pork, then slice crosswise into twelve segments, about an inch to an inch and a half thick.
5.) Stir the dry seasonings and sprinkle evenly over both sides of the pork slices. Gently rub to adhere.
6.) Gently flatten the slices with your hand. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the pork slices, working in batches if needed to prevent overcrowding. Brown the pork about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until done. Don’t overcook; a pink center is perfect. Transfer the pork to a serving platter and keep warm.
7.) Add the butter to the pan, then the shallots and apples. Cook about 3 – 4 minutes until the shallots begin to soften, and the apples begin to brown.
8.) Pour in the cider, scraping up all the yummy brown bits from the bottom of the pan, then stir in the thyme. Cook just long enough to thicken the sauce. Serve with the pork.